• Winner in the “Sustainability” category
• Recognition for first plant-based squalene available in GMP quality
• Portfolio shift to Next Generation Solutions

Evonik has won this year’s CPHI Pharma Award in the category “Sustainability”. The winning innovation is the plant-based squalene, PhytoSquene®, which can be used for parenteral drug delivery applications, and is the first plant-based squalene available which complies with GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices).

PhytoSquene® is part of Evonik’s growing portfolio of Next Generation Solutions (NGS) – products categorized by a distinct sustainability profile. The Health Care business at Evonik aims to transform more than 70 percent of its portfolio, in terms of revenue, to NGS by 2030. This also aligns with the commitments from Evonik’s life sciences division, Nutrition & Care, to reduce the need for animal-derived products and grow its portfolio of biosolutions.

“Sustainability drives us! This award confirms that we are pursuing the right goals: to offer our customers alternatives that enhance patient outcomes and protect our planet,” said Yann d'Hervé, Head of the Health Care business line at Evonik.

PhytoSquene® is made from the oil of amaranth (Amaranthus caudatus), an herbaceous plant, and renewable feedstock, cultivated in many parts of the world. It is manufactured in Germany using a proprietary process and has consistently high quality, compliant with European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) regulations. Evonik launched PhytoSquene® in 2023 with manufacturing at commercial scale.

Squalene is used as an adjuvant in vaccines – such as the H1N1 influenza vaccine – to stimulate the body’s immune response to the active ingredient. However, pharmaceutical-grade squalene is currently sourced from shark liver oil, which can deplete shark populations and negatively impact marine biodiversity. In terms of quality, animal-derived squalene may be susceptible to batch-to-batch inconsistencies which can complicate regulatory processes. Some patients also cannot use animal-based products for cultural or religious reasons.

The annual CPHI Excellence in Pharma Awards were established in 2004 to celebrate cross-industry innovators driving the industry forward. This year’s award was presented to Evonik at the CPHI pharmaceutical trade show in Milan on October 8, 2024. In 2022, Evonik won in the category “Packaging and Drug Delivery” for a polymer-based drug delivery system for mRNA and nucleic acid delivery.

As a partner to the pharmaceutical industry, Evonik Health Care has been a leader in advanced drug delivery for decades. It supports pharmaceutical companies worldwide with comprehensive services for developing and manufacturing complex parenteral and oral drug products. This includes pharmaceutical excipients such as polymers and lipids, formulation development and the manufacture of clinical samples, as well as commercial drug products.